Love and Lust at the Dark Tournament
by LadyClassical
Summary: Hiei and Kurama are sharing a hotel room at the Dark Tournament, so it's only a matter of time before they discover their true feelings for each other. But how, and when, will it happen? (Rated M for reasons that will become clear.)
1. Passion

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story takes place during the Dark Tournament Arc, starting with the morning after Kurama's battles with Gama and Touya. The only difference is that in this story, the show started when Hiei and Kurama were a little older, and now they are both adults (because I'm not really comfortable writing this otherwise). Therefore, in this story, Kurama's human body is 18 and Hiei is…well, I'm pretty sure he's an adult in the show to begin with, but just in case he isn't, remember that for all intents and purposes, he IS an adult in this story (about 100 years for a demon, I would guess). That said, enjoy! **

**Warning: contains anal and oral sex, masturbation, yaoi, and (hopefully) lots of love!**

…

"_Kurama…FAREWELL!"_

_Stab!_

That memory from only yesterday was still fresh in Hiei's mind. And though he would never admit it, that fight had turned him on an unbelievable amount. True, he almost always got off on watching Kurama fight—that eagerness to watch Kurama in battle was far more than just respect for his skill—but this one had been particularly intense, and it didn't help that Kurama's shirt had ripped open halfway through. The mere sight of Kurama groaning like that as he smeared blood all over his bare chest…It wasn't easy for Hiei to watch, and not for the reason one might think. Let's just say he was very glad that none of the spectators' attention had been focused on him, and one part of him in particular.

The normal part of Hiei felt bad, sometimes even worried, when Kurama got injured and cried out in pain or exertion. But the dirty part of him wondered if the noises Kurama made during battle sounded anything like the noises he'd make during sex. Hiei was confused; horny, but confused. Sex was something he understood (despite being a virgin), but this was something different. Something more. And he didn't know what.

For most of his life, he had never felt strongly for anyone, not in _that _way—whichever way that was. It felt like nobody ever really bothered to get to know him. That was how it was for the first century of his life…until he met Kurama. Then it was different. Kurama didn't try to change Hiei or force him to discuss his feelings. It seemed like he always understood. True, he called Hiei out when he deserved it, but both of them knew that they would stay as close as always, maybe even closer. And so far, he had resisted all of Hiei's attempts to push him away. Kurama…_accepted _him.

But this didn't seem to explain that feeling Hiei got when he looked at Kurama, or spoke to him, or interacted with him in any other way. He didn't feel that way for anyone else and he never had. Over the years they had known each other, something had just become different for Hiei. And not just his emotions, either. Ever increasingly, he could feel it in his body, in his most private areas.

And that was why, the morning after Kurama's fight with Touya, Hiei could be found sprawled on his hotel bed, completely naked, passionately masturbating.

That was how Hiei felt. Passionate. Even though he didn't know if he should stop or not, he knew he _couldn't_ stop. It just felt so good. Even though he hadn't ejaculated yet, he could tell he was getting very near that point. His erection only grew harder and bigger as he kept most of his fingers stroking and squeezing the shaft, his index finger rubbing the tip. The entire morning, he had been experimenting with what felt good and what didn't, and what he did enjoy, he just kept doing.

_Oh, God, this feels so good! _Teeth clenched, eyes squeezed tight, toes curled, Hiei moaned with pleasure and grabbed onto the pillow underneath his head with his left hand while he continued to stimulate his erect penis with his right. Some people watched porn while they did this, but Hiei was thinking of Kurama; he was doing his best to pretend that it was Kurama's hand jerking him off, not his own. What would he give to have that man's hands all over these parts of him? Would his touch feel gentle and soft, the way Hiei had always imagined? Or would it get rough and wild? How would his _mouth _feel? His tongue? His lips? His…oh, this was getting sexier by the minute.

It was time to be honest. Hiei's body was just aching, begging, _pleading_ for some dick.

Even if Hiei didn't understand why Kurama turned him on so much, he did, and Hiei just went with it. Luckily, the aforementioned fox-demon was going to eat at the hotel breakfast buffet and then spend some time outdoors, so Hiei had the whole morning to himself, and he planned on spending it in this most wonderful of ways. Plus, the hotel rooms here were completely sound-proof; nobody would be able to hear Hiei's moans, which were getting increasingly louder. Everything he did or thought about made him hornier by the second, the pressure and heat in his body building up wildly. It wouldn't be long now.

…

Kurama was walking to breakfast, thinking of nothing but the delicious scrambled eggs he was going to eat. Maybe some bacon, too. But he was riding downstairs in the elevator by the time he realized he had left his communicator in the hotel room he shared with Hiei (Yusuke, Kuwabara, and the masked fighter were sharing another).

_Crap_, Kurama thought, because he had no choice but to wait for the elevator to reach the ground floor, then ride it all the way back up again. When he got to the room, he slipped his key card in the door, turned the handle, and…

"Oh my gosh! Hiei! I'm so sorry!"

As soon as he heard the voice, Hiei looked up—and he just about _died_. There in the doorway stood Kurama, his mouth open in shock, his face as red as his hair. Hiei realized his fingers were still wrapped tightly around his penis, so he yanked his hand away, trying to ignore how every nerve in his body was screaming for him to put it back.

Kurama apologized again, and without another word, he slammed the door shut. The communicator could wait, he thought, as he rushed to the elevators, his face still burning.

There was nothing wrong with what Hiei had been doing, but still, it wasn't something Kurama wanted to walk in on. It was like walking in on him while he was taking a shower or using the bathroom. And he hadn't just been masturbating either; he had been completely naked, hard as a rock, covered in sweat, and moaning at the top of his lungs. What were you supposed to say in a situation like that? Kurama had a feeling that even though Hiei had obviously been on the brink of orgasm, he would be too embarrassed to continue.

Sure enough, he was correct. Tears of utter mortification filled Hiei's eyes as he tumbled off the bed, his body still begging him to finish. But how could he? All he could do was stumble around looking for his clothes while he hoped Kurama would go away. Just a few seconds ago, he had been feeling wonderful, but now he felt terrible. It took a while, but he found his pants and put them on, then collapsed onto his bed, face-down, hoping the monster down there would leave.

…

As the morning went by and Kurama's embarrassment faded, he started to feel bad for Hiei. On a normal day, they would probably be training together for the next round. But today, he hadn't seen Hiei at all since accidentally walking in on him.

Hopelessly distracted, Kurama sat down underneath a tall tree to think. Discussing this with Hiei was the last thing he wanted to do, and he knew Hiei wouldn't want to talk about it, either. But at the same time, he didn't want Hiei to get the wrong idea. What if Hiei thought Kurama was going to be judgmental? What if he was ashamed? That idea was too much for Kurama to take. All he wanted was for Hiei to be happy, and if that was what did it for him, fine. But still, Kurama wondered how he would feel if Hiei walked in on him doing the same thing.

Well, actually…Kurama didn't think he would mind that much. The truth was, seeing Hiei going at it was embarrassing, but it turned him on a little, too. That sounded horrible, but Kurama was too old, too experienced to not know what he wanted. In his previous life, he had enjoyed sexual encounters with both men _and _women. And usually, they were more than willing to deliver. But would Hiei? And, for that matter, would Kurama?

No matter how much Kurama wanted Hiei (and he did), he knew he could never make the first move. Hiei was technically a mature demon, of age, but he hadn't been that way for very long. All the revelations about sex and identity and preference that Kurama had experienced long ago were still on the way for Hiei. What if Hiei just _thought _he knew what he wanted? They were both above the age of consent (in both worlds), and they certainly got along well. But even so, Kurama felt that if he were ever to do anything sexual with Hiei, it would be taking advantage of his youth and inexperience, even if Hiei wanted it.

Maybe if Hiei made a move on Kurama, things would be different, but Kurama had no idea which way Hiei swung, or even if he was capable of love at all. Well, he loved Yukina, that much was obvious, but that was in a brotherly way. Could he ever love someone in a romantic way? And if so, could it ever be a man? An _older _man?

_I highly doubt it,_ Kurama thought glumly.

Well, whatever. Kurama had kind of lost his appetite for the breakfast buffet after walking in on Hiei, and now (around lunchtime) he was starving. So he went back up to the hotel, where the rest of his team was waiting…minus Hiei.

"Hey, Kurama, I've been meaning to ask you," said Yusuke, as Kurama sat down at their table in the hotel restaurant. "Where's Hiei?"

"Yeah, if anyone would know, you would," Kuwabara added, and that made Kurama feel guilty.

"I _don't_ know," he replied. "It could be that he's not feeling well today."

"Maybe you should go and look for him," Yusuke suggested. "We're getting kind of worried. None of us have seen him since last night. What if he's hurt?"

"Did you check in our hotel room?"

"We don't have key cards," said Kuwabara. "But we knocked, and there was no answer."

"Hmm…" Kurama was thoughtful. Maybe Hiei was taking this harder than he thought. "You know what, sure. After lunch, I'll let myself in and make sure he's okay."

…

This would have embarrassed Hiei enough all on its own, but how often did it happen that the person who walked in on you was the person you were masturbating to in the first place? Worse, Hiei hadn't actually made it to orgasm earlier, so he had all this buildup that was uncomfortable, almost painful. But he couldn't bring himself to finish things up, now that the fantasy of Kurama's soft hands, the thought of the touch he craved so badly, embarrassed him more than it aroused him.

Hiei was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even hear the key card activating the lock, but next thing he knew, Kurama was in the doorway again.

"Good afternoon," he said, a little too formally, but kindly. "How are you?"

"Look who didn't knock again," Hiei said angrily. Somehow it was just more satisfying to blame Kurama than himself.

"That was what I wanted to talk about, actually," said Kurama, to Hiei's horror. "You don't have to feel so uncomfortable on my account, Hiei."

"What do you mean?" Hiei asked warily.

"I mean," said Kurama, taking off his shoes and sitting down next to Hiei on the bed, "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you, but you have to realize that you weren't doing anything wrong."

"Easy for you to say," Hiei mumbled. "You weren't the one who got walked in on."

"Maybe not, but why have you been avoiding me?" Kurama asked.

"Because you walked in on me!"

"So?"

"So, that's embarrassing!"

"Why?" Kurama asked, point-blank, and Hiei blinked.

"Because…because…" It must have looked to Kurama that Hiei couldn't find an answer, but really, he couldn't tell Kurama the answer. It was embarrassing because of what Hiei had been thinking about. The things Kurama did in Hiei's fantasies were things Kurama would probably never do in real life, or at least not to Hiei. Besides, this wasn't the first time he'd used those thoughts to satisfy himself.

"Trust me, Hiei, I know how you feel," said Kurama understandingly. "Self-pleasure is completely normal. It's good for you. I do it, too."

Maybe that was supposed to help, and if it were _anyone _else, perhaps it might have. But this was Kurama, and Hiei didn't know which was more arousing—the idea of Kurama masturbating, or the fact that he would just openly admit to it like that. Ever since this morning, Hiei hadn't really managed to get rid of his leftover horny feelings, and now that he was picturing Kurama naked and having a massive wank session, maybe accompanied by some of those sexy vocals, he felt his own erection coming back in full force.

"Are you all right?" asked Kurama, looking concerned.

"Yes," Hiei lied, grabbing a sham pillow and holding it in a strategic manner.

"You don't look like it." Okay, this was getting weird. Kurama could understand embarrassment or even shame from Hiei, but this seemed way out of proportion. Something else was obviously going on, though for the life of him Kurama couldn't figure out what. Hiei's face was so red; maybe he really was feeling ill? Demons could get sick too, after all. Tenderly, Kurama pressed the back of his hand to Hiei's forehead, right underneath the Jagan eye.

"W-What are you doing?" Hiei stammered, stiffening slightly at the touch.

"I'm sorry, Hiei," Kurama said, remembering that Hiei didn't really like to be touched, and taking his hand away. "I was just checking to see if you have a fever. You're not acting like yourself at all. Are you sure you're all right?"

Oh, the temptation! Why was it that everything Kurama did to make Hiei feel better just made him feel worse? That hand…it _was _soft. So soft. It was sweet, delicate, and loving. But why did it have to be on Hiei's forehead? Why couldn't it be in his pants?

"Please just tell me what's wrong, Hiei," Kurama implored him. "You're my best friend. Whatever it is, I promise I won't judge you."

"Well, I-I can't say who, but…" Hiei shrugged, trying not to look too guilty. "I was thinking of someone this morning, an actual person. I feel bad because I had some really…inappropriate thoughts."

"But you're not harassing her in real life," Kurama pointed out.

"It's not a her," Hiei said miserably, dropping his gaze in embarrassment.

Well, that answered that question. Kurama wanted nothing more than to hug his friend and comfort him (maybe even kiss him). That was out of the question—Kurama was sure Hiei would not want it—but the whole topic of love and lust was way outside of Hiei's comfort zone, and he was vulnerable enough without questioning his orientation. Sometimes, Kurama forgot how difficult it could be when you were still trying to make sense of your sexuality.

"There's nothing wrong with liking men better than women," Kurama said, feeling tears in his eyes as he held Hiei's hands in his own, his touch as tender as before. "Love is love. You know that."

"Is that what this is?" Hiei looked up into Kurama's eyes, and he seemed genuinely confused. "Love?"

Kurama blinked. Finally, his intelligent mind started to put two and two together; he looked into Hiei's wide, curious eyes, down at the hands that clutched Kurama's rather tightly, and then at the sham pillow, which had been thrown to the side, and now Kurama could see what had been hiding underneath it…

"Oh, Hiei," said Kurama, meeting the fire demon's gaze again. "Was it me? Were you thinking about _me_ this morning?"

Hiei let go of Kurama's hands, knowing he shouldn't have been surprised that his secret was out. When was he going to learn? It was literally impossible to hide anything from Kurama. No matter what you did to cover your tracks, it would never be enough. Hiei looked down, and when he saw what had given him away, he felt like he wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Why did his body have to betray him like that?

"I'm sorry, Kurama." Hiei felt like he was going to cry. "I'm really, really sorry."

"Don't feel sorry," Kurama said softly, placing one hand on Hiei's shoulder. "I'm not angry. I just wish you would have told me earlier."

"W-Why?"

"Because, Hiei…" Kurama suddenly started to smile, and leaned closer. Hiei bit his lip as the familiar scent of roses surrounded him; he would have thought it was impossible, but he was even hornier now than before. "I like you too."


	2. Tenderness

"What?" Hiei gasped. Had he heard correctly? Kurama liked him back?

"I said, I like you too." Kurama's smile grew a little wider.

Hiei thought Kurama would grab him and start kissing him or something like that, but he didn't. Instead, he just smiled, looking completely perfect. In accordance with that…

"I-I didn't think anyone could like me like that," said Hiei quietly, but apparently that was a little too much for Kurama to take, because then he really did hug Hiei. It wasn't a squeeze or a grab, and there was no kissing, but it was such a gentle embrace that Hiei could just melt into it.

"Well, you were wrong," said Kurama, his voice muffled. "You're one of the best people I've ever met, Hiei. I mean it."

"You're not so bad yourself," Hiei said with a smile. This was an unbelievable surprise, but certainly not an unwelcome one.

Kurama wanted to get more intimate with Hiei, that was true, even if it was only a kiss. But it was important that he didn't make Hiei do anything he didn't want to do. Obviously, Kurama wasn't going to force Hiei to do anything, but he was worried that he might inadvertently coerce or pressure him. In other words, he worried that anything he said would make Hiei feel uncomfortable. Meanwhile, Hiei definitely wanted Kurama, but he didn't know how to ask. Right now, he didn't think he was ready for actual, penetrative sex, but there were other things he did want to try.

"Do you want to come down to the lobby and have tea?" Kurama suggested tentatively, after they had separated from their hug.

"Uh…" Hiei felt his face turning red. _How?_ How was he supposed to tell Kurama that he wanted to do more than hug and drink tea? "I-I think…I think maybe I need to…well, you know…"

_Please take the hint_, _please take the hint_, _please take the hint_…

Kurama didn't take the hint.

"I understand," he said, getting up, although he did look a little disappointed, if Hiei wasn't imagining things. "I'll give you some privacy."

"Wait!" Hiei cried, as Kurama turned to leave, his hands in his pockets.

"Yes?" Kurama raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe…maybe…since you like me…" Hiei hated how childish he sounded, but he had never felt so nervous in his life. "You could help me out."

"Ah," Kurama said calmly, turning around again and starting to walk back towards the bed. "What did you have in mind?"

"You don't want to know," Hiei said, feeling embarrassed, nervous, and horny, all at the same time.

"Yes, I do." Kurama smiled again and sat down on the bed. "I'd like to know what I'm doing in those fantasies of yours, Hiei."

"Well, um…" Hiei swallowed. "Remember what I was doing when you walked in on me?"

Kurama nodded.

"Could you do that?" Hiei asked.

_Woah! _Kurama was pretty shocked at first that Hiei wanted things to go so quickly, that he would be so forward—but then again, apparently he'd been thinking about this for a long time, and he looked like he was going out of his mind with arousal. So maybe it was easy to believe.

"Yes," said Kurama, realizing that his pants were starting to feel a little tight down there, too. "And I can do a lot more than that." Seeing the nervous look on Hiei's face, he added, "Don't worry. If you don't like it, we can stop."

"Okay," Hiei breathed, his crimson eyes on Kurama's crotch.

"My eyes are up here, Hiei," Kurama joked, spreading his legs apart. "Do you see something you like?"

"P-Please, Kurama," said Hiei. "Your hands…"

"As you wish," Kurama replied, his voice low and soothing as he positioned a pillow underneath Hiei's head. "Now, lay down on your back, please, and relax."

Hiei did as he was told, hoping they could go through with this before he lost control completely and came all over himself. But then, maybe it was better that he was doing this with a man, who would obviously be more familiar with what and what _not _to do (e.g., no biting).

Kurama didn't take Hiei's pants off, or even stick his fingers down the crotch. Instead, he began to stroke the clothed bulge with one hand, still using that tender approach. Hiei tried not to let out any sound, but it was a close thing.

"How's that?" Kurama asked softly. "How does that feel?"

"G-Good," Hiei gasped. "But I want…you know…"

"That's it, Hiei," Kurama whispered. "Tell me what you want. Tell me how to love you."

"Down here," said Hiei, pointing. "Please."

Hiei was dying of anticipation. All he could really do was watch as Kurama fiddled with his multiple belts and finally opened his pants. Hiei gasped again as his anatomy was let loose, but he soon felt a _way _better sensation. Kurama wrapped one hand around Hiei's shaft, getting creative with his fingers and palms, stroking, squeezing, petting, rubbing. Kurama's touch was just as gentle and loving as Hiei had imagined it, maybe even more so. It was unbearable. Hiei unconsciously moved his hips in tandem with the jerks, leaning into it naturally.

"H-Harder!" Hiei demanded in his fervent passion. Kurama laughed good-naturedly, then obliged; the tender, soft touches became rougher and faster. Hiei was trying his best to keep his orgasm and his noises in, but that was proving to be very difficult.

"Let me hear those moans again," Kurama murmured, his talented fingers still doing their best to please Hiei.

Surrendering to the vocals was not difficult to do. Hiei lost control of his voice, and he found it did feel good to just make whatever noises he felt like. It made the hand job feel even better, if that was possible. It all felt so good, in fact, that Hiei could feel that strange sensation inside him again, the pressure building up almost more than he could take.

Kurama's touches felt so much better than doing it alone. Hiei found himself squirming under the pleasure, being surrounded by it, feeling cloudy-headed…But this was only a hand job, albeit Hiei's very first one. If he couldn't handle this, how would he control himself during anything else?

"It feels so good," Hiei moaned, gripping onto the bedsheets for dear life, his legs stiffening, his toes curling, all of this without his knowledge. The pleasure was so overwhelming, it was close to painful. Almost there…

"Just let it out, Hiei," Kurama soothed. "Don't hold back. Just enjoy."

"_Harder!" _Hiei cried, louder this time. "Come _on!"_

"Hmm." Instead of quickening his pace, Kurama took his hand off of Hiei's lower parts for a moment. "Yes, you liked that, didn't you?"

"Put it back!" Hiei hollered, lost in the moment. "Don't tease!"

"Who's teasing?" said Kurama, grinning as he ran one finger down the side of Hiei's body, making Hiei shiver.

"Stop it!" Hiei protested. "I mean, _don't _stop! I—ahh!"

Hiei was suddenly interrupted, because that was when Kurama bent down and put his lips to the smaller demon's penis, kissing it a few times, giving it a few licks as a preview.

"Do it," Hiei moaned. Why was Kurama teasing him? If he was doing it to make Hiei long for him even more, it was working. Luckily, Kurama obliged this time and took the entirety of Hiei's manhood in his mouth, causing Hiei to cry out in shock and pleasure. It wasn't just the velvety lips, nor was it the wetness and warmth of a soft mouth; those things helped a _lot_, but what really did it for Hiei was Kurama's tongue, moving every which way, tickling all the right places and setting them on fire…

Hiei really didn't want to come in Kurama's mouth, but he had no choice. Kurama had only been blowing Hiei for about fifteen seconds when it all became too much and Hiei's orgasm hit at last.

"Ahhhh!" Not only did the warm, sticky liquid get in Kurama's mouth, but since Kurama reflexively moved his head back a little, some of it got all over Hiei and the hotel bed as well. Kurama didn't seem to care at all, though; he just got up and sat on his heels, stroking Hiei's hair, wiping sweat off his forehead. His movements were tender and loving again.

"I'll be in the bathroom, okay, Hiei?" Kurama said softly, getting up and heading towards the bathroom they shared. On the way, he discreetly set a pack of baby wipes on the bed next to Hiei, who was so pleasured and exhausted and euphoric that he didn't even notice. Kurama was going to the bathroom to rinse his mouth out, but he didn't say that, in case Hiei was embarrassed about making such a mess. Also, there was cum in the ends of his long red hair, so he washed that out with water and the hotel shampoos in the sink. After he washed his hair, he kept the mouthwash in his mouth for the full recommended ninety seconds, then he spit it out and just lingered in the bathroom a little longer, so Hiei would be able to clean himself up in privacy.

Hiei was certainly glad for it. This was the first time in his life that anyone besides him had witnessed this, so he felt like cleaning up in front of someone would be awkward. The baby wipes were a heavenly sight to behold, and though they couldn't clean the sheets, they were a godsend for self-cleaning.

Once Hiei was done, he pulled his pants back up and collapsed, hugging his pillow tight. How wonderful this had been! His first sexual experience, and it was with Kurama! In the next few days, he could only hope for more.

Kurama was smiling when he came out of the bathroom and sat down next to Hiei on the bed. Hiei was still a little too tired to sit up, but Kurama ever-so-gently lay down next to him and cuddled him. When Kurama spoke, his breath was noticeably minty-fresh.

"I'll always be here for you, Hiei," he said. "Forever and ever, no matter what."

"Same," Hiei mumbled happily, burying his face in Kurama's chest. "I've never done any of that stuff before, but I'm glad the first time was with you."

"But that was the kind of thing you had me doing in your fantasies, didn't you?" said Kurama, and there was a note of teasing in his voice again.

"They're not fantasies anymore." Hiei still leaned into Kurama's cuddling embrace. "That was the best orgasm I've ever had."

"Thank you," Kurama replied. "It was good for me, too."

"But…but you didn't even unzip your pants," Hiei pointed out, noticing for the first time that Kurama still had an erection. Then he felt kind of bad. "Maybe I was being selfish."

Kurama was surprised to hear that. It was true that he would have liked to finish, too, but one of the things he understood about Hiei was that he did things at his own pace. There was no way Kurama was going to force Hiei to do anything, and he did enjoy giving Hiei so much pleasure. If Kurama was forcing Hiei to do something he didn't want to do, well, neither of them would really get any pleasure out of it.

"Oh, no, Hiei," Kurama whispered. "You weren't being selfish. As long as you enjoy it, I do too, and there's not a single thing you'll have to do before you're ready."

Hiei didn't say anything that time, but he smiled. This was the way he felt with Kurama, the way he _never_ felt with _anyone_ else—both safe and loved.


	3. Commitment

That night, things were much different than usual for Hiei. There seemed to be a lot of questions floating around, such as, was that a one-time thing, or had they just started a sexual relationship? Had they started a relationship at all? There was always that "relationship talk" you had to have…Hiei knew he was awful at that. One of the main reasons he liked Kurama was because Kurama _didn't _force him to discuss such things.

Hiei was wide-awake, and he had been all night long, but Kurama had fallen asleep quickly. Hiei looked over at him. Kurama really was lovely-looking. The moonlight shone brightly on his delicate, pale features, and his red hair looked soft and silky to the touch.

As he watched, Kurama twitched a little, then opened his eyes and sat up, looking half-asleep but at least conscious. Hiei closed his eyes so Kurama would think he was asleep, but then he remembered that the Jagan only closed when he was actually asleep, so he turned onto his stomach, hiding his face in his pillow.

Kurama got out of bed, but he didn't move. Instead, he looked towards Hiei's bed, and even though Hiei was face-down, he could tell Kurama knew he was awake.

"Hiei?" he whispered.

"Kurama?" Hiei turned around and sat up. "What are you doing up?"

"I just need to use the bathroom," said Kurama, jerking his thumb casually towards the bathroom they shared. "What are _you _doing up?"

"Well, actually…" Hiei shifted uncomfortably. "I was just thinking about something, uh, important."

"What we did today?"

"You don't miss a trick, do you, Kurama?" Hiei sighed. "Listen, I know I'm not very good at this kind of thing, but—"

"Hiei, I'd love to talk about it, but I _really _have to go," said Kurama, and he did look pretty uncomfortable.

"You just have to take a piss, right?" said Hiei. "You won't be in there for long?"

Kurama nodded.

"Okay, then, I'll wait," Hiei told him, turning over in bed as Kurama booked it to the bathroom. It was probably good that there was a little wait, because now Hiei would have some time to figure out what the heck he was supposed to say. The point of this conversation, he figured, was to ask Kurama where they were in their relationship, or if they even had one at all. That was pretty simple, right? So why was Hiei so nervous?

_Because I'm terrible at this! _Hiei thought to himself, shoving his face in his pillow. _I'm no good at relationships, and I HATE them! Things are getting so complicated, and I don't think I'm ready for it…I don't even know what 'it' is! And yet, Kurama's touch is heavenly_…

The hotel walls were completely sound-proof, but apparently the bathroom walls were paper-thin, because Hiei could hear everything that was going on in there.

"You sound like a cloudburst," Hiei commented. "Take it easy on the fruit punch next time."

"If we could keep the snarky observations to a minimum, Hiei, that would be great," Kurama said back.

After the toilet flushed, Kurama washed his hands and left the bathroom, remembering to put the seat down again, because he wasn't the type of guy to leave the toilet seat up.

"You left a real mess in there, Hiei," said Kurama, drying his wet hands on his pajama pants. "You're supposed to aim for the toilet bowl, not the floor."

"I hate indoor bathrooms," said Hiei crossly. "I'm used to going outside."

"Well, it's still unsanitary," Kurama argued, "not to mention gross."

"Whatever," Hiei grouched. "Do you remember what we were talking about before?"

"Yes." Kurama sighed and sat down on Hiei's bed. "Should we have waited to do that?"

"That's just the thing," Hiei said desperately. "I don't know. I-I'm so bad at this. I don't know what I'm supposed to want."

"You're not as bad as you think," Kurama said. "This whole thing is my fault. I shouldn't have—"

"No," Hiei interrupted him. "I-I liked it."

"I know, but maybe it was stupid." Kurama shrugged. "I just don't think I should be doing that with someone to whom I'm not seriously committed."

"You're…you're not seriously committed to me?" Hiei said quietly. Suddenly, he felt like something large and heavy had slammed into his stomach.

"Wha—oh, Hiei, no, I didn't mean it like—"

"Liar!" Hiei shouted, standing up so suddenly that the pillows fell off the bed, his insides reeling with shock, hurt, and anger. "I thought you were my _friend! _Or…or even…"

But he found he just couldn't say it. _Something more_. It had all been too good to be true. Why was it that everyone Hiei cared about seemed to kick him to the curb?

"I'm leaving," he muttered, striding to the door and yanking it open.

"No! Hiei, please!" Kurama's voice broke, and he followed Hiei out into the hallway. "Where are you going? Why are you doing this?"

"I was the stupid one today, Kurama," Hiei snarled as he turned around. "I was stupid to think I could do this. Every time I even _try_ to trust someone…" Unable to finish the sentence, he sunk onto the floor and set his head in his hands. "Just because I don't understand humans. Just because I don't wear my heart on my sleeve…" Hiei could feel tearstones materializing in the corners of his eyes, but he was both annoyed and embarrassed about that. "Nobody likes me just the way I am."

"I do," said Kurama.

Hiei looked up, and he was surprised to see tears streaming down Kurama's cheeks.

"Are—are you okay?" Hiei asked.

"Yes. I'm so sorry, Hiei," said Kurama. "I'm afraid you heard my words out of context."

"Huh?"

"When I said 'seriously committed,' all I meant was that we weren't in a formal relationship," Kurama explained, sitting down next to Hiei in the hallway. "Not _yet_.I didn't mean for one second that I don't care about you, or that I don't value the difference you've made in my life."

Hiei stared. It looked like Kurama was starting to cry.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I'm really, really sorry I hurt you. I can't even imagine how hard it…how hard it must be…" Kurama mopped his eyes with the back of his hand, and continued. "How _hard _it must be to grow up without a family, or any friends, or have so many people act like they care and then abandon you, and now I did it, too."

"Kurama!" Hiei said. The last thing he wanted was for Kurama to be upset. "I do just fine! I really do! That was an overreaction."

"No, it wasn't." Kurama sniffed. "But what you have to realize is that you're not unlovable. Those people in your life who rejected you before…that's on them, not you. It's their loss. If they don't like you just the way you are, _they're _the ones who should change, not you."

"I try not to let on, but sometimes I feel so alone, especially in Ningenkai," Hiei said quietly. "People think I'm weird."

"Those people are idiots," Kurama declared. "Yes, you might be a little…different, but that's what I love about you. It's _who you are_, and I would never change you for the world.When you're with me, let me assure you that you don't have to be perfect. All you have to be is Hiei."

"I'm sorry, Kurama." Hiei leaned into Kurama's chest and sighed. "I guess I just worry. But you shouldn't have to deal with my baggage."

"You think I don't have baggage?" said Kurama, softly stroking Hiei's hairline, as Hiei leaned into the touch. "_Everyone_ has baggage. The important thing is that we don't let it define who we are."

"Maybe you're right," Hiei said thoughtfully. "And if the two of us stay together, I think that will make it all the easier."

"Does that mean we're…?" Kurama looked down at Hiei with curious green eyes. For the first time that night, Hiei noticed how cute he looked with his hair all tousled from sleep.

"Only if you want to," said Hiei.

"I've never wanted anything more in my life," said Kurama, giving Hiei a huge hug, and Hiei hugged back.


	4. Intimacy

Hiei slept in Kurama's bed that night. They cuddled each other, mostly, although you could say a few hands slipped under the sheets every now and again. Hiei woke up before Kurama (as the sun rose, as always), and he wondered what it would be like if they had sex. How would that feel?

The truth was, Hiei wasn't sure if he was ready for sex. True, he had been wondering for some time now what exactly Kurama was packing, but he knew he couldn't ask Kurama to take off his pants just so he could _look _at it. They would have to be _doing _something.

That was when Hiei got an idea, but it gave his stomach a strange, fluttery sort of feeling. Could he even suggest it?

"Kurama?" he said, gently shaking the fox-demon to get up.

"Huh?" Kurama mumbled, shielding his eyes against the sunlight. They were so beautiful when the rising sun hit them, highlighting that lovely emerald-green color. Then, those eyes widened, and Kurama smiled. "Good morning, Hiei."

"Good morning, Kurama," said Hiei, feeling nervous again. "Did you sleep well?"

"Of course," Kurama replied. "I had you in my arms."

"Thanks," said Hiei, sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "Anyway…I'm going to go take a shower."

"I'll get a little more sleep, then," said Kurama, shutting his eyes and cuddling his pillow the way he'd been cuddling Hiei.

"Unless you'd like to join me," Hiei suggested, feeling embarrassed again. Without looking, he knew his face was the color of tomato soup. Why was he so _bad _at this?! But apparently, Kurama thought it was—

"Adorable." Kurama sat up in bed and smiled. "You are absolutely adorable."

"What do you mean?" Hiei demanded. Last time he checked, "adorable" and "scary-ass demon" didn't really go too well together.

"Just think about it," Kurama laughed, getting up to sit next to Hiei on the bed. "Who would guess that you, of all people, would be so shy and nervous? It's cute."

"I am _not_ cute," Hiei said firmly, "and I'm not shy _or _nervous."

"Whatever you say." Kurama leaned over and kissed the top of Hiei's head. "I'd be happy to join you in the shower."

There was that fluttering feeling again! And…oh no. No! Not now! This happened most mornings, to be honest, but Kurama didn't have to know about it—although, when it came to Hiei, it seemed like he knew everything.

"Hmm," said Kurama thoughtfully, looking down at his lap. "It seems I've got morning wood again. I do hope that won't make our shower awkward, Hiei."

"Oh…" Hiei looked over and realized that Kurama was having the same issue as he was. "Um, no, it won't."

"Well, then, let's go," Kurama said cheerfully, heading into the bathroom. It wasn't the morning wood that was awkward, especially when Kurama said he'd been getting it almost every morning since Minamino was twelve. No, what was awkward was that Hiei _did _get shy, and even he was willing to admit it.

Kurama had already seen this part of Hiei twice, so Hiei didn't know why he should be so nervous. But the truth was, the first time was by accident, and the second time, Kurama had taken off Hiei's pants _for _him. Now, he expected Hiei to undress all by himself, like this was a striptease or something. Suddenly, Hiei's feet felt frozen to the ground, and he stopped outside the bathroom.

"Aw, you really are shy," said Kurama, walking over to Hiei. All he had been wearing to bed was a pair of green pajamas and some fuzzy socks, so it wouldn't take him long to undress, but Hiei was wearing his normal clothes—everything but his shoes, scarf, and cloak. "Do you need help?"

"No," said Hiei, feeling more tightening in his pants. Since they were loose, it wasn't exactly difficult for Kurama to see that despite being shy, this was a lot more than morning wood. "Why don't you just…go in first, and I'll meet you there?"

"Very well," said Kurama with a wink, then he sauntered into the bathroom. Hiei watched him go, feeling lustful.

Most of the time, the morning was when Kurama would have his own "self-love" session, during the shower. That was partly why he got up so early in the morning, and it helped him relieve the stress of being in a tournament with such high stakes, so he was doing it every morning during the Dark Tournament. But it didn't seem right to do it with Hiei just standing there, and although he would have liked Hiei to "help" him, he didn't know if Hiei would want to do it.

Kurama took off all his clothes and got in the shower, adjusting the temperature to make it extremely hot, but not so hot that it burned off his skin. Hiei, as a fire demon, definitely liked hot shower water. What would really be hot was if he and Hiei could soap each other down. Kurama always washed his hair before he washed his body, though, so he got to that while he waited for Hiei.

Meanwhile, still in the room, Hiei was trying to work up the nerve to meet Kurama in the shower. What was he so afraid of? Judgment? But hadn't they already gotten past that? Hiei didn't have to be afraid that Kurama would make him do anything against his will…so what was the problem? They were in love, and apparently in a relationship. Shouldn't people in relationships take showers together? And hadn't Hiei suggested this because he _wanted _to see Kurama without his clothes?

That was true. It was time to get past the shy and nervous feelings. It was time to be brave.

Hiei stripped himself completely down, but he wrapped a towel around his waist, figuring he would drop it right before he got in the shower. The shower curtain was closed, of course, so no water would get on the floor, but Hiei could see Kurama's shadow behind it. When Kurama heard the bathroom door open, he pulled back the shower curtain. His hair was full of conditioner that he hadn't rinsed out yet.

"Drop the towel and join me, Hiei," he said with a smile. "I can see that you clearly want to."

Hiei turned red again as he realized just what Kurama could see, and he stupidly put his hands in front of that area.

"Such an adorable little youkai," Kurama said softly. "Come on in. Don't be afraid."

"Don't look," said Hiei.

"We're sharing a shower," Kurama reminded him. "It will be difficult to shower with my eyes shut."

"Just when I take the towel off," Hiei explained. Kurama rolled his eyes and shut the shower curtain; Hiei dropped his towel and stepped in.

The first sight Hiei got was of Kurama rinsing the conditioner out of his long hair. His eyes were closed, and it looked like he was simply enjoying the hot water. Needless to say, Hiei's eyes traveled downwards until they could check out the goods, wondering if it would fit, he supposed. Surprisingly, though he was far from undersized, Hiei found that Kurama was smaller than he was, probably six or so inches…maybe seven, with four inches in girth.

"Do you like what you see?" Kurama asked him, not self-consciously at all.

"Hmm," said Hiei. "It's smaller than I'd have guessed."

"Well, at least it's above average for a human," Kurama told him.

"Really?" Hiei couldn't help but burst out laughing. "You're kidding me, right?"

"No," said Kurama calmly. "I believe the average is about four inches."

"Ha!" Hiei was laughing even harder now, so that his insecurity was slipping away. "So they're not only weak, but undersized as well?"

So there was another discovery about humans—demons were statistically bigger. Hiei had once measured his own erection and gotten the "workday" (nine by five), which was just slightly above average for the type of youkai he was, but unless a male youkai was from an unusually small race, he'd very rarely go below six.

"It was actually a relief to stop growing down there when I did," said Kurama. "Youko Kurama's was about twice as big and thick, and women loved it, but there were complaints from men."

"Female youkai." Hiei shook his head, realizing he probably wouldn't have wanted Youko Kurama inside him, at least not as a virgin. "Is size all that matters to them?"

"It's a bigger hole that needs filling, that's all," said Kurama. "I would want to please her. Plus, they make their own lube. But anyway…" Kurama grinned again and ran one finger down Hiei's side. "That doesn't matter anymore. I'm yours now."

"Good," Hiei said, but his mind was already absorbing his next observation of Kurama's wonderful naked body—his arms, legs, and torso (especially his stomach) were all covered in scars. Hiei reached out one finger and traced it along the newest cut, a long, deep gash on the arm that served as a reminder of Kurama's fight with Touya.

"So you've noticed," said Kurama. "Yes, my human body has a lot of scars. That's why I don't take off my shirt to fight. That, and a lot of my outfits match so nicely."

"Like that one that got ruined in your fights with Touya and Gama," said Hiei. "But I liked it much better torn open and exposing your chest, personally."

Kurama smiled. Hiei wasn't really surprised that Kurama was scarred, because they had been in a lot of fights together; no, what shocked him was that he knew where a lot of the scars came from. There was the one he got not so long ago from his fight with Genbu, and near that, there was an even more familiar scar…

"I gave you that one." Hiei was now touching a small but very deep scar, clearly from a sword. "Remember?"

"Think of it as a token of our love," said Kurama, "although lovers don't usually impale each other, as far as I know."

"Maybe you shouldn't have stepped in front of it, then."

"Anyway," said Kurama, rolling his eyes, "do you want me to wash your hair?"

"Not much can happen to a guy when he's getting his hair washed, I suppose," Hiei replied.

"You're the one who's always telling people not to underestimate me, Hiei," Kurama joked. "And now you're doing it?"

"Hn," said Hiei.

"I'm certainly very horny," Kurama said tauntingly. "Just a fact. And the shower isn't the best place to pretend you aren't excited, too."

Hiei was glad then that the hot water masked his blush, but now Kurama was standing behind him, hands on his shoulders.

"How do you get your hands so incredibly soft?" Hiei said, partly to change the subject, and partly because Kurama's hands really were very soft.

"It's moisturizer I make from my plants," Kurama replied. "I see you like them on your shoulders…I'm sure you remember what they felt like on your—"

"Ah!" said Hiei, because one of Kurama's hands was off his shoulder and snaking downwards, right towards Hiei's lower parts…_Yes! Yes! Do it! Please!_

"You need some body wash down here, Hiei," Kurama mock-scolded. "Do you think you can take care of that on your own?"

"No!" said Hiei. "I need some help…"

"Very well." Kurama picked up a bottle of rose-scented body wash, which he had brought from home, and squirted it into his hands, while Hiei's entire body burned with anticipation. Then it came—the feeling of cool, sticky soap squirting onto his penis, and Kurama's gentle hands rubbing it in. Hiei reached his arms up and sort of wrapped them around Kurama from behind, and he felt Kurama's lips in his hair. Of course, Hiei was already panting with the sensation, not just because of the soap and Kurama's hands, but because he could feel Kurama's erection poking into him from behind.

"Ohhh…perfect," Hiei moaned, leaning backwards into Kurama, who supported him. Already, he could feel himself getting close to orgasm.

"Now, it's time to rinse," Kurama whispered in Hiei's ear. "Ready?"

"Yes," Hiei breathed, pulling slightly on Kurama's long hair. Kurama rinsed all the soap off his hands, then he used them to rinse Hiei's penis. But the feeling was just too amazing, and before he knew it, Hiei came again with a cry of pleasure.

"Oh, dear, all that washing for nothing," Kurama said sweetly, smoothing Hiei's bangs back with one hand. "What am I going to do with you, Hiei?"

"I don't care," Hiei mumbled, exhausted, and Kurama laughed.

"Well, then, I suppose a kiss will do." Kurama's voice was so soft that Hiei could barely hear it above the running water, and with a jump of the stomach, he knew—this wasn't going to be a kiss on the head, or the forehead, or even the "masculine regions." This was going to be a real kiss.

_Oh my gosh! My first kiss! _Hiei was thinking—and the strange thing was, all of a sudden, he wasn't nervous anymore. All he knew was that as the shower water poured down like rain, Kurama placed one strong hand underneath Hiei's back, Hiei instinctively reached up and encircled his arms around Kurama's neck, and Kurama supported Hiei in his arms as he dipped him backwards and finally, the space between both their lips and their hearts was gone.

It must have been the most romantic kiss either of them had ever experienced. They felt each other's touch and imagined how their own must feel; grips slid but didn't break in the warm water; each of them could feel the other's heartbeat just as clearly as they could feel their own.

All too soon, they softly ended the kiss, as if by an unspoken mutual agreement.

"I love you, Hiei," Kurama whispered, setting Hiei back on his feet.

"I love you too, Kurama," Hiei whispered back.

It was the first time they had said those words to each other, but neither could have thought of a better time—and they meant it with all their hearts.


	5. Joy

Hiei never would have thought that a romantic kiss and an "I love you" was something he needed, but it was amazingly true. When it came to love, Hiei had always felt embarrassed, nervous, and even shy; where had that gone? It seemed to have evaporated, replaced by something Hiei had _never_ felt before.

It was something light and airy, something that made his heart pound, his lips curve into a smile, his fingers and toes tingle, his stomach flutter, and—most surprising of all—it was something that made laughter well up deep inside him and bubble out as if from a hot spring. And the laughter didn't empty him; it filled him up, as if he had just finished a nice warm mug of hot chocolate.

As for Kurama, he knew full well they were in love, because the truth was that he was just more in touch with his feelings. But what he didn't expect was the change that this brought forth in Hiei, whom Kurama had never seen so happy. Everything seemed to make him laugh or smile, and he couldn't seem to keep away from Kurama. The two of them had seemed joined at the hip ever since they met, but this felt different, somehow, and as long as Hiei was happy, Kurama was, too.

They didn't put on their clothes right away that morning. Instead, they had an intense makeout session on Kurama's hotel bed, complete with hands wandering everywhere.

"This is so amazing." Kurama got off of Hiei and rolled onto his back, still completely naked. "Are you sure you don't want to have sex? That's what beds are for, you know."

"Maybe later," said Hiei, and he meant it. "For now, I think the others are at the breakfast buffet, wondering where we are."

"We're in heaven, that's where we are," Kurama cooed, kissing Hiei on the cheek. "To think, you were masturbating to me yesterday morning, and in only about twenty-four hours, your fantasy has become a reality."

"What, so you'll do anything I want?" said Hiei, and laughed again.

"Oh, Hiei, I _love_ the sound of your laugh," Kurama told him. "Goodness knows I don't hear it enough."

"Well, here comes some more!" Hiei didn't even know why he was laughing. "What the hell is wrong with me?"

"You're in love," said Kurama, grabbing Hiei and kissing him once more, this time on the lips. _"We're _in love. And there's nothing wrong with that."

"Isn't this crazy?" said Hiei, sitting up again and crossing his legs. "We're going to fight again soon, and yet we've started this new thing…Don't you think the Dark Tournament is a strange place for love to happen?"

"Yes, the strangest," Kurama agreed. "But someday, we'll look back on this, and we'll have good things to remember, not just bad."

"Hmm." Hiei wanted to keep making out with Kurama, but he also wanted something delicious to eat. "Like I said, the guys are probably wondering where we are. The breakfast buffet is going to end in forty-five minutes."

"Oh my gosh," said Kurama, looking at the bedside alarm clock to be sure. "It's 10:15 already? Usually I'm showered and dressed by seven!"

…

Kurama and Hiei got dressed in a rush (Kurama didn't even have time to style his hair). Hiei took the stairs and got down to the breakfast buffet in about five seconds, so that he could find the others and save a seat for Kurama. Then he was just a blur, going from table to table, and within about twenty seconds he had gone from the hotel room to the table—but then he decided he ought to wait for Kurama, so he went to back to the buffet area again.

By the time Hiei had finished browsing all the tables and picking out everything he thought Kurama would want to eat, Kurama was downstairs.

"Oh, Hiei, you know me so well," he said, beaming. "Thank you."

"The guys are over there, and the girls, too," said Hiei, pointing. "Do you think we should, y'know…tell them?"

"Well, telling friends is the next step in making a relationship official," Kurama replied, his hands in his pockets, as always. "Let's do it."

So they went to the table, where Yusuke, Kuwabara, the Mask (they still didn't know who that was), Botan, Yukina, Keiko, and Shizuru were all eating breakfast.

"Where the hell have you two been?" Yusuke demanded, looking up from his food.

"Heaven," said Hiei, and he couldn't help laughing a little. Kurama smiled, but everyone else stared.

"Why is Hiei laughing?" said Kuwabara, looking alarmed.

"Don't worry," said Kurama cheerfully. "We just thought both of us should be down here…"

"So we could share our special news with everyone," Hiei finished. "Together."

"Special news?" Yukina asked curiously, her eyebrows raised. "What is it?"

"Let me guess," said Yusuke jokingly. "You're pregnant!"

"If Team Tugoro doesn't kill you, smartass, I will," Hiei said menacingly. "No. That's impossible."

"Although perhaps we may adopt children someday," Kurama said calmly. "Perhaps some orphaned youkai with no one else to look after them."

"Wait a minute!" said Keiko, her brown eyes wide. "Does that mean…?"

"Ha!" Yusuke leaned across the table to grin at the girls. "We win."

"Excuse me?" said Kurama.

"Oh. Uh…" Botan blushed a little. "Well, once we found out you two would be sharing a hotel room together, we started arguing about when you would start a relationship. The guys thought you would do it _before _the Dark Tournament was over, while we girls bet on after. So we lost."

"You were betting on our love lives?" Hiei demanded. "What are you, children?"

"More importantly," Kurama added, "it wasn't a matter of _whether _we would become a couple, but _when?"_

"It doesn't take a Jagan eye to see that you two were in love from the start," Botan said, giving them a smile. "To be honest, I started hoping we would lose, just so the two of you would be happy sooner."

"Yes, I second that," said Keiko.

"Third," said Shizuru.

"Fourth!" said Yukina, beaming with pleasure, and Hiei's expression softened. Besides Kurama, she was probably the only person he really, truly loved, although of course in a very different way.

"Just don't become one of _those _couples," Shizuru continued, taking a bite of smoked sausage as the happy couple sat down with their plates. "You know, the kind that gives each other dumb nicknames, and makes out where everyone else can see, and baby-talks, and feeds each other, even when they're perfectly capable of feeding themselves…"

"No," Kurama began, "no, of course we w—mmph!"

In the middle of Kurama's promise, he had been cut off by Hiei shoving a forkful of scrambled eggs into his mouth.

"Here you go," said Hiei. "Fed."

"No, Hiei, that's not how you feed someone. Do it like this." Kurama scooped a spoonful of cereal out of Hiei's bowl and held it up to the fire demon's mouth. "Open up the tunnel, here comes the train! Choo-choo!"

Botan, Keiko, and Yukina all giggled, and everyone else stared, as Hiei willingly opened his mouth and swallowed the spoonful of cereal.

"Well, there goes my appetite," said Yusuke, looking revolted.

"Love blossoms in the best of times, and in the worst of times," Kurama told him.

"You all just don't _get_ it," Hiei added, wondering if anyone else could experience the joy that was flowing through him right now.

"Hey, you're not the only one with a boyfriend," Keiko told him. "Shizuru's right. We do want you to be happy, but you can't snap out of reality…guys?!"

"All right, we'll stop feeding each other," Kurama replied, but then he whispered in Hiei's ear, "Cereal may not be the only thing you put in your mouth today."

Hiei laughed again, so did Kurama, and they continued to eat their breakfast.


	6. Pleasure

After breakfast, the new-couple euphoria didn't stop. Kurama and Hiei left the others to their own devices and headed out to the grassy, wooded area behind the stadium. Their plan was to catch up on the training they hadn't gotten done yesterday. Kurama matched Hiei in many endeavors, though he was better at martial arts. That was what they were working on, even though Hiei knew Kurama showed no mercy even in training.

Before today, they had managed to have long, intense training sessions to make it more difficult for their adversaries to beat them. But the only things that were long and intense today were their constant makeout sessions in between rather sparse attacks.

"Oh no, I hope I'm not being merciful to you," Kurama said as he had Hiei backed up against a tree. "That would be a first. I suppose it's because you're so adorable."

"Shut up, Foxy," said Hiei, "and kiss me."

_"__Foxy?" _Kurama couldn't help but laugh. "Is that your new boyfriend nickname for me?"

"It might be," Hiei replied. "Do you like it?"

"That depends," said Kurama, pinning his new boyfriend's arms to the tree. "Just how foxy do you expect me to act?"

As the morning went on and turned into afternoon, more demons started entering this area, so they could train there, too. Team Urameshi wasn't scheduled to fight today, but there were matches with some other teams going on in the afternoon, so this spot was always the most crowded around this time. Kurama and Hiei paid all the other demons no mind.

"Get a room!" one of the demons hollered, as he saw Kurama and Hiei kissing passionately.

"Get a life," said Hiei, breaking away from Kurama for a split second. Kurama laughed, the demon sighed, and they started making out again. Hands began to wander, too.

When all that making out and feeling each other up made them hungry, Kurama picked fruits and vegetation off of some of the surrounding trees, so that he and Hiei could have some delicious lunch. Kurama knew what was safe to eat and what wasn't. Many other demons around them were eating, too.

They had just finished up their meal when the announcer called all spectators and fighters to the stadium for the next few rounds. The demons around them got up and started to leave for the show.

"Well, I guess we'd better go." Hiei stood up and brushed himself off.

"Or," said Kurama, pulling him back down, "we could just…stay here."

"Why?" Hiei asked.

"Because there are more interesting things we could do than watch more fights," Kurama told him, lowering his voice slightly. "If you know what I mean."

"Kurama, what's gotten into you?" Hiei felt his breath speeding up again. There was a wild look in Kurama's green eyes.

"Now we're all alone, with no demons to annoy us or tell us to get a room," Kurama whispered, gently pushing Hiei down onto his back. "We can go into that stadium and watch another batch of demons kill each other, or we can have graphic anal sex right here among the flowers and trees. Take your pick."

Hiei didn't even have to think about it. Kurama was wearing a pair of tight black pants and a white dress shirt that day, and it looked like if he didn't unzip his pants soon, he was going to burst right out of them.

"First I've got a little something for you, Kurama," Hiei said, sitting up. Suddenly, he had an idea of his own. True, he was starting to get a little nervous again, but it was a good kind of nervous, and anyway, he was also excited.

"What is it?" asked Kurama, raising his eyebrows.

"I feel like I owe you one," Hiei replied, trying to sound seductive.

"Oh, don't be silly, Hiei, you don't owe me anyth—woah!"

Kurama's sentence was cut off as Hiei pushed him onto the ground on top of their picnic blanket, then unzipped the fox-demon's pants. The look of surprise in those big emerald-green eyes was priceless. Clearly, this was a shock, but far from an unwelcome one.

"W-What are you doing?" Kurama breathed.

Hiei didn't answer Kurama's question; instead, he took the top of Kurama's penis in his mouth and gave him a blow job. Kurama's cries of shock soon turned to these kinds of gasps that Hiei associated with pleasure, though he hoped he wasn't hurting Kurama. After all, he had never given a blow job before, and the first one he'd ever received had happened only yesterday.

"That's very nice," Kurama told Hiei, though the fact that he could talk was a bit of a revelation that it wasn't. Hiei was giving a very mediocre blow job—he was just _sucking_ on it, like it was a baby bottle—but Kurama appreciated the gesture all the same. Besides, maybe he could help with the execution: "Use some tongue."

_Use some tongue? I forgot the tongue! _Hiei felt his face turning hot, thinking that this was a mistake and that he was the absolute worst head-giver in the entire universe. In fact, he was so stressed out that he was starting to lose his erection.

"Here, Hiei," Kurama said kindly, squirming out of Hiei's mouth and sitting up. "Why don't I show you how it's done?"

"Okay," said Hiei, getting onto his back. It was only natural, he supposed, that he should just let Kurama have his way with him.

Kurama hoped he hadn't embarrassed Hiei. Obviously, the poor guy expected far too much of himself. Kurama wanted to let him know that it was all right, and what better way to do that than to start some real pleasure?

"You look like you're losing a little of your enthusiasm, Hiei," Kurama observed, tugging down Hiei's pants. "Now, we can't have that, can we?"

"N-No," gasped Hiei, enjoying the exhilarating feeling of Kurama continuing to pull down his pants for him until they were at his ankles. The picnic blanket was soft, and Hiei could feel the earth underneath it.

The fact was already established that Kurama gave excellent oral sex, and Hiei was looking forward to having his penis swallowed up again. So what a surprise it was when instead of that, he felt Kurama's soft, wet lips and tongue on his balls—causing an even better feeling than if he did it the normal way. Losing his erection was no longer a problem; in fact, he was a little worried now that he was going to orgasm before the sex even started.

"Ohhh, Kurama!" Hiei moaned, throwing his head back onto the grass. _"Do_ it!"

"Do what?" Kurama teased, taking Hiei's privates out of his mouth and sitting up on his heels.

Hiei squirmed. "Sex, you bastard!"

"Okay," Kurama said sweetly. "But we had better move the picnic blanket, so it won't get all dirty."

"Good idea," Hiei said breathily, sitting up and tossing it out of the way.

"And now," said Kurama, "lay down on your back again."

Hiei lay down, and as he did, he felt the ground underneath him smooth out, the uncomfortable roots and things moving out of his way. In addition to that, a little mound of leaves and dirt piled up underneath his head, making a sort of pillow, and the trees nearby bent and hung their leaves down, creating a little alcove that included just the two of them.

Once that was done, Kurama got up on his knees and positioned them on either side of Hiei; same with his hands. Hiei stared up at his new boyfriend's penis, a proud bearer of pleasure surrounded by a patch of red hair, standing erect between his legs.

"Kurama?" said Hiei nervously.

"Yes?" Kurama's voice was deeper than usual.

"This…this isn't going to hurt, is it?"

"Hiei, listen to me," said Kurama, and his expression turned from simply hungry to kind. "I will never, _ever _hurt you. If you want me to slow down, or to stop, or even to go faster or deeper, just say so. I promise I'll be gentle. Okay?"

"Okay," said Hiei, another wave of adrenaline and pure excitement careening through his system. "I'm ready."

Well, the time had come. Kurama couldn't believe they were here doing this, yet he was so thrilled. This was the first time he had sex since he was Youko Kurama. But as he'd promised Hiei, he had to be gentle, and he had something to help with that. Just as Hiei was waiting for the penetration, Kurama fished a little container of lube out of his pocket. That was something he bought at the hotel gift shop earlier. Personally, he hadn't minded, but the demon behind the counter couldn't meet his eyes, and judging by that, plus the deep blush on her face, he was sure she'd been wondering which of his teammates he was going to do in the ass that night.

"This is something that will make it go a little smoother," Kurama explained, and Hiei looked relieved. After the lube was applied, Kurama finally went in.

_Woah! _Hiei gasped at the sensation of it—something hard and wet sort of poking into him. Then it was out again, leaving a sort of weird feeling behind.

"How was that?" said Kurama. "Was that okay?"

"Mm-hmm." That was all Hiei could say. It was just impossible for him to make sense of the feelings that soared through him right now.

Kurama penetrated a few times more, each a strange new sensation for Hiei, until he was finally all the way in. Once that was the case, he started off at a very gentle pace, as he'd promised, searching for Hiei's sweet spot. It seemed he hadn't quite found it yet, because Hiei still looked so…surprised. Not exactly pleasured, just totally dumbfounded by this new feeling.

"D-Deeper," he managed to whisper, arching his back a little and unconsciously moving his hips to accommodate Kurama better.

Kurama, by now, wanted nothing more than to just plow away at Hiei and explore every inch of him, kind of the way he used to do it with Kuronue, but that simply wasn't an option. Hiei was a virgin and that would hurt, and Kurama wouldn't dream of hurting Hiei on purpose. No, he would go out of his way to _stop _Hiei from being hurt. So he did as Hiei asked, going a little deeper, a little faster, when Hiei gave a sort of cry like he had just been electrocuted.

"What is it?" Kurama pressed, pulling out somewhat but not all the way. "Did I hurt you?"

"No!" Hiei gasped. "Do that again!"

"Okay…" Kurama repositioned himself and continued his thrusting, getting into a regular rhythm; he could tell by Hiei's moans that he was now hitting the right place, so he made sure to press that button over and over and over again, increasing the intensity and the volume of the moans.

Hiei couldn't even believe this feeling. As much as his mind was disengaging, he had always sort of thought anal sex was _really _only for the giver. That friction of going in and out had to feel good, didn't it? But, as the receiver, he found that there was this sort of pleasure spot deep inside him that he hadn't even known existed. And when Kurama's penis came into contact with it, especially at that pace…

"Ohhh!" Hiei was being loud and he didn't even care. This was the most satisfying sexual pleasure he'd ever felt in his life, and he never wanted it to end.

Hiei's vocals were _majorly _turning Kurama on. It was so arousing to hear the smaller demon moaning beneath him, and he, Kurama, wasn't exactly silent either. Hiei's question was finally answered: the sounds Kurama made during battle when he got injured _did _sound a lot like the sounds he made during sex. Kurama's voice was wonderful for Hiei to listen to, like a soundtrack for his own pleasure, and it only made the experience better for Kurama, too. With each of his thrusts he could only feel himself getting harder. Positioning his knees on the ground, he steadied himself with one hand and used the other to jerk Hiei off, earning another cry of pleasant surprise.

Kurama's long red hair, his flushed cheeks, those big green eyes that sparkled with arousal, his smooth skin soaked with sweat, those delectable cries of pleasure…all of that turned Hiei on. With his pleasure center being activated and with another hand job as well, the pressure inside him was growing stronger. This was so amazing, so new, he didn't want to end it, plus it would make Kurama's hand all sticky, but at the same time, he didn't want to hold back.

"Come for me, babe," Kurama coaxed in an unusually husky voice. "You know you want to."

_Yes! _This was it, the orgasm, more wonderful than it had ever been before. Kurama made everything better. It seemed to come out for five long seconds, getting all over Hiei's legs, stomach, and private parts, plus on Kurama's hand. Kurama laughed and continued his thrusting. It got faster, more intense, for a few more minutes, and then…

Being filled with cum didn't feel as unpleasant as Hiei thought it would. It wasn't unlike having warm water poured in there, to be honest. It didn't feel very sticky this way, and it had a spiritual feeling to it as well—Kurama came in _him_, Hiei, which seemed representative of the very intimate bond they shared. The sharing of orgasms felt like something special passed between them.

Kurama kneeled there for a minute, holding onto Hiei's knees for support, as the remainder of his "seed" rushed out and he just sort of stayed there, gasping for air.

That was the first time Kurama had orgasmed in over twenty-four hours. That morning he hadn't done his usual masturbation session, and now, all that buildup was released in one wave of sheer delight, in one amazing experience he'd shared with the one demon he loved more than any other.


	7. Deliciousness

Once Kurama finally managed to pull himself off of Hiei, he lay down next to his new boyfriend on the ground and cuddled him. Hiei could feel the love pouring out of Kurama and into him as the fox-demon held him. Both of their shirts were soaked with sweat; Kurama's fly was still open and Hiei's pants were down to his ankles.

"Think we should go watch the rest of the round?" Kurama said casually. "I'm sure the guys are wondering where we are…"

"Again," Hiei laughed. "But I think we should go back to the hotel first and shower."

"I have a better idea," Kurama told him, pointing lazily to a shimmering blue suspended between the surrounding forest. "Look. We can just bathe in that pond."

"Good idea," said Hiei. "I love bathing in ponds."

Hiei took off the remainder of his clothing right there and carried them to the side of the pond, enjoying the feeling of grass tickling his bare feet. Kurama followed, their picnic blanket in tow, then stripped himself. After they'd taken a shower together for the first time, that was easy to do, almost practical. They left their clothes on the bank and lowered themselves into the water. Hiei warmed it up, and they soaked as if in a sauna. The water took care of their sweat smell and the sticky cum residue, so that they were soon clean. Kurama was able to identify which plants they could use for soap, and he infused the water with the scent of roses, so that they would smell good after the bath was done.

"I enjoyed that very much, Hiei," Kurama said softly. "Maybe next time you can penetrate me, ne?"

"If you want." Hiei made his voice sound indifferent, though he was concerned that he wouldn't be able to do it right and would make a fool out of himself. Besides, he kind of liked being the receiver, at least if Kurama was the giver.

"Just remember that my human body is a virgin, too," Kurama told him lightly. "I never knew you were, as they say, 'hung like a horse.'"

"The extra inches off my head had to go _some_where," Hiei replied, and Kurama laughed. Hiei reached over and lazily held Kurama's penis in between his fingers, not really jerking him off, just touching it, because that was what he wanted to do. Kurama looked at Hiei, then down into the water, where he set his hand on top of Hiei's. It felt nice, Hiei touching him there.

Kurama was glad he had suggested that they not have sex on the picnic blanket, because after the pond, they used it as a towel. Even though Kurama was shivering and freezing cold after getting out of the water, he let Hiei dry off first, wrapping the towel lovingly around Hiei's shoulders.

Meanwhile, Hiei marveled at how far Kurama would go to keep him comfortable. Because he was technically half-fire demon, half-ice demon, he had the ability to withstand temperatures at both extremes. The cold air after the bath didn't chill him, and he could raise his body temperature very high, so he didn't even need the blanket to dry off to begin with. Mostly to be charitable, he kept the blanket around his shoulders for a few moments and warmed his body up so that he was dry very quickly. Then he gave the picnic blanket to Kurama.

Drying off felt wonderful. Kurama greatly appreciated that Hiei had heated up the blanket for him; it was like wrapping up in a warm towel that just gotten out of the dryer. Needless to say, he took his time drying off, enjoying Hiei standing there stark naked, arms crossed, watching with a smirk on his face. Everything about Hiei's body was on the small side except that one specific organ.

They washed their sweaty shirts after that, and Hiei dried them quickly. As soon as they were dressed, they headed up to the stadium.

…

When they arrived, the rounds weren't over yet. The rest of their teammates, as well as the girls, were standing by the door, watching the fights go on from a high level.

"You're late again," Yusuke observed, looking suspicious.

"Yeah, where were you?" Kuwabara asked.

"While you all were just _watching_ other demons fight, Kurama and I were training," Hiei replied loftily. Of course, he was lying through his teeth—unless, of course, you counted sex as exercise.

"You smell nice," Yukina said sweetly.

"Thank you," said Hiei. It made sense that he and Kurama would smell nice, because they had just bathed in Kurama's rosewater. Hiei was especially glad that he didn't smell like sweat and semen when he was around his sister.

After the rounds were over, the girls went back to their hotel room, and Kurama and Hiei were about to go up to theirs (probably for some more dirty activities) but Yusuke cleared his throat. They turned around to look at him; his arms were crossed, and his face looked stern.

"I didn't want to say this in front of the girls," he said, "but Hiei, did you know that you have a twig in your hair?"

"W-What?" Hiei felt his cheeks getting a little warm as he felt around in the spiky ebony locks. Sure enough, a twig must have gotten stuck while he was being pleasured out of his mind.

"And you, Kurama," Yusuke continued, "you have grass stains on your knees."

Kurama looked down and saw the telltale green stains on his black pants. The two of them had washed their shirts, but they hadn't thought to wash their pants. Now, not only could everyone tell what they had been up to, they knew who the giver and receiver were, too.

"Oh, so what?" said Hiei defensively. "We did what lovers do."

"Well, the rest of us did what Dark Tournament combatants do," Yusuke said back. "Namely, staking out the competition, and not having sex in public."

"You weren't having sex at all," Kurama pointed out.

"How would _you _know?" Yusuke snapped, but he looked a little bit embarrassed.

"Keiko has been taking advantage of you, then," Hiei said coolly. It was good to put Yusuke on the defensive, because then Hiei and Kurama didn't have to be under scrutiny.

"No, she hasn't!" Yusuke looked even more embarrassed then; his face was quite red.

"Come on, let's go," said Kurama, gesturing for Hiei to follow him. "We're going up to our hotel room to get some rest."

Of course, they were really going to do anything but, and everyone knew it.

…

The second they got up to their hotel room, Hiei and Kurama couldn't help themselves. They tore off their clothing as quickly as possible, and fell blissfully back onto Kurama's bed, hopelessly drunk on love, their minds buzzing with the infinite possibilities of dirty things they could do to each other.

"This is the best tournament of my life," Kurama declared. Just the sight of Hiei naked was totally turning him on.

"Mine, too," Hiei said honestly. "Do what you want to me, Kurama; we will have sex again very soon."

"Do what I want, you say?" Kurama grinned mischievously and withdrew a very familiar-looking rose from his hair.

"Oh no, not Rose Whip!" Hiei protested.

"Perhaps not yet," Kurama said calmly. Using plants for BDSM…well, he had done _that _plenty of times before, admittedly with much more dangerous plants than he was capable of using in his human form. The roughness of it had aroused most of his demon partners enormously. But if Hiei wasn't ready for that, he wouldn't do it. So instead of transforming the rose from its flowering state into a whip, Kurama held the flower gently in one hand and ran it down Hiei's body, starting at his chest, and stopping at his private parts.

"K-Kurama!" Hiei gasped, shivering at the sensation of the delicate rose petals brushing against his most sensitive organ.

"Shh," Kurama whispered. "Just relax."

Hiei was a person who liked a challenge, so he decided that he was going to give Kurama an orgasm before the evening was out—minus any penetration. So he pushed Kurama back onto the bed and approached him sideways.

"Hiei, w-what are you doing?" Kurama always was shocked when Hiei was so forward. The little fire demon was unpredictable. Sometimes he was shy and wanted to let Kurama take the lead, but other times he would just get so horny that he couldn't keep his hands to himself. Honestly, Kurama loved it either way.

"This," said Hiei, running one of his fingers up and down Kurama's penis. He felt satisfaction when he saw Kurama stiffen with obvious pleasure; using that cue, he swapped his finger out for his tongue, not really a blow job yet, but licking it, the way he would lick an ice cream cone. In fact…that gave Hiei a great idea! As his heart pumped with excitement, he stopped licking and kneeled on the soft bed.

"Hey! Don't stop," said Kurama, his face sweaty, his hair all fanned out underneath him.

"I'm not stopping, just pausing," Hiei said gleefully, heading over to the minibar. Kurama watched him go, shamelessly staring at his tight little ass. But he felt his mouth open in shock as Hiei retrieved a can of whip cream from the minibar.

"Oh, God, Hiei!" Kurama couldn't _believe_ this—not that he was complaining or anything! He closed his eyes, spread his legs a little, and threw his head back onto the pillow. "Please do this!"

One thing the _ningens _did right was all the different desserts they had, and Hiei had a bit of a sweet tooth, so he was an old pro when it came to spraying things with whip cream, although Kurama's penis was a first. So he sprayed the whip cream all over Kurama's crotch, the same way he would over a delicious sundae. But he wanted to be the one to tease, so he didn't lick it off right away. Instead, he just stared at it, then into Kurama's hungry eyes.

"How does it feel to be teased, Kurama?" he asked, grinning wickedly.

"Please!" Kurama realized he was not above begging as he felt the cool dessert topping sinking into his private parts, and he was even more desperate because he couldn't finish this off himself if Hiei changed his mind—he could jerk himself off as much as he wanted, but there was no true way to stimulate licking that he could think of. He had tried wetting his finger with spit a couple times, but even that didn't compare to the dexterity, softness, and wonderful moisture of a tongue.

"I don't know," said Hiei, but then he saw that Kurama was starting to go out of his mind, and the sight of the whip cream was making his mouth water, so he added, "Well, okay, why not?"

"Ohhhh!" Kurama was moaning in ecstasy as Hiei licked the whip cream off his privates. It was a win-win; the whip cream tasted great to Hiei, and as for Kurama, Hiei's tongue felt even better! He couldn't control the stiffening of his limbs and the cries from his mouth as the unbelievable feeling of the special blow job careened throughout his body. How could anything feel this good? Kurama was just shouting for more in between his moans, and Hiei was loving it.

"Ask and you will receive," Hiei said smoothly, spraying another load of whip cream on, making sure to get the whole area, not just the penis. With that, he continued to lick Kurama's choice bits, getting _all _the whip cream off. (Delicious, _and _hot!) Kurama's vocals were majorly turning Hiei on, and his own organ was begging for some kind of attention. Hopefully Kurama would pay him back with a nice hand job or even a blow job of his own. The thought excited Hiei so much that he went even faster with his tongue, and before he knew it, Kurama shouted out loudly and the liquid sprayed Hiei right in the face.

Kurama was panting with exhaustion as Hiei laughed, giving his boyfriend's now-flaccid penis a little kiss. With a grin of triumph, Hiei asked, "How was that?"

"Oh, Hiei, you're amazing," Kurama breathed, reaching his arms out, and Hiei fell into them. "Just wait until you see what I've got in store for _you!"_

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


End file.
